Independent Journalist

Opinion Articles & Editorials Written By Nancy Youssef

U.S. strikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State have had an unintended beneficiary: al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda has exploited the strikes and gained strength, and that has created a growing rift within U.S. national security circles about where the coalition should aim its strikes. Some American intelligence and defense officials and counterterrorism experts are worried that the intense focus on defeating ISIS has blinded the U.S. to the resurgence of al Qaeda, whose growing potency has become more apparent as ISIS becomes...

Iraq’s security forces made their biggest advances yet against the self-proclaimed Islamic State on Monday, taking back much of the Sunni-dominated city of Ramadi. But the significance of the victory, and what it means for the longer-term goal of defeating ISIS, remained uncertain.
It’s the biggest win for Iraq and its U.S. military partners so far against the terror group, but is in the city that ISIS held for the least amount of time, making it hard to assess the impact of the win.

Russian combat operations on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are likely to begin “soon,” three U.S. officials told The Daily Beast. And Russian drone flights to spot targets for potential airstrikes are already underway.
That concession by U.S. officials of growing Russian influence marks a shift from previous statements by officials who said they weren’t sure whether Russia intended to use force in Syria and enter into the country’s long and brutal civil war. There already are early signs that Russia plans to...